"In the hottest contested category of the awards, with firms from all around the country, we are very proud and somewhat humbled to come out on top," Lavell says.

"FY15 was our best year in the firm's history and reflects a mix of our consistent focus on how we can improve our processes to better understand our client's business and personal goals combined with a greater sense of optimism in the local marketplace.

"We invested heavily in our learning systems and developing our staff and it shows in the way they consistently deliver on the partner's promises.

"We've also adopted a lot of workplace balance and flexibility policies to enhance staff enjoyment and retention."

WMS was recognised for diversifying its client base across different industries to mitigate fluctuations in the property cycle, including medical, aged care and hotels.

The firm also invested heavily in technology platforms and recruited multilingual accountants to manage inbound investment in the region.

Lavell says the team has worked particularly hard to practice what they preach in recent years, and will continue to innovate service offerings.

The Australian Accounting Awards celebrate excellence in the industry, with 103 finalists recognised across 21 categories.